About Me

As a child, Jennipha's mother recalls her saying, "I want to be an ambassador to the world." As an adult, she has fulfilled much of this ambitious childhood dream. 

After working on several projects abroad, in 2018, Jennipha was privileged to take on the role of Ambassador for UN Women USA LA. This position pairs her diplomacy and advocacy experience with opportunities to engage with local, state, national political, and business leaders; to advance the rights of women and girls internationally and domestically.

2016, as a recent Obama Fellow, she found herself taking the reins and leading numerous large grassroots events, calls to action, and movements throughout Los Angeles.

"I am a 'reluctant leader,' not one by choice, but when a crisis or necessity pulls on my sense of duty to help others."

During the last several years, she has been called upon and honored to collaborate with so many renowned globally recognized organizations to lead, assist and facilitate training: Organizing for Action (OFA), MoveOn, Indivisible, National Day Labors Organizing Network (NDLON), ACLU (People Power), United Nations Association USA (UNA).

In 2012 Jennipha founded the ONE World Project (OWP), which provided programming, education, and advocacy training to empower citizens to express their concerns, views, and way to take a lead role in the solutions process for the humanitarian issues affecting their community. The ONE World Project would start locally in Southern California and expand rapidly, leading projects overseas in Asia and Africa. The organization and teams left a positive impact through education and female-focused training during its six years of operation. 

In 2010, while in graduate school and serving as Student Body President at CSULA, one of the largest minority campuses in the nation, Jennipha would guide the student body through the harrows and obstacles that would befall them during the largest financial crisis in higher education in generations. Jennipha worked to help pass the California Dream Act and later the Dream Act to protect undocumented students in the US. She raised awareness for homeless students, laid the groundwork for a campus food bank, and reallocated vital funds for courses cut due to budgetary constraints. While attending Cal State, she would serve on the Cal State LA Foundation Board and the Faculty Senate. Her work with the Institutional Review Board (IRB) would leave the most significant impact and commitment to human rights while reviewing applications submitted to the board regarding human subject testing.

While still in graduate school, Jennipha-Lauren was crowned Ms. California World. Jennipha seized this new opportunity to generate awareness by focusing her platform during her reign around increasing funding for higher education and the importance of providing programs for girls and minority students to explore the fields of science & technology. 

Her hard work and creative outreach would garner UN staff members' attention and lead to work aboard related to Universal Education, Gender Equality, and Rights for Persons with Disabilities. 

Jennipha "Lauren," as she is known back home, grew up in Missoula, Montana.

She enjoys every opportunity to come home and resides there several months during the year. She takes great pride in her family's deep roots in the state, going back five generations to Terry Montana, where her great-great-grandfather migrated to after retiring from Scotland yard. 

Helping is the family business; she often jests! 

Miseris Succerrere Disco (I learn to succour the unfortunate) MacMillan Clan Motto